England are set for a dramatic white-ball reboot, with Ben Stokes being sounded out for a shock return to the one-day job and Harry Brook in line to take cost of the T20 workforce.
Final week’s resignation of Jos Buttler prompted Key to ask Stokes to think about taking up a job he has crammed solely as soon as – in the course of the Covid-hit collection in opposition to Pakistan in 2021.
That will then go away Brook to construct up his captaincy expertise with the 20-over aspect, as England put together for subsequent yr’s T20 World Cup in South Asia. The subsequent 50-over event takes place in southern Africa in 2027.
And whereas Secret is in no rush to rubberstamp the appointments, with England not enjoying white-ball cricket once more till West Indies arrive in late Might, he believes Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum can switch their Take a look at alchemy to a one-day workforce who’ve misplaced their final seven video games – their worst sequence since 2006.
‘Ben is an unbelievably good tactician, which we’ve seen in Take a look at cricket, however he’s additionally a frontrunner of males,’ mentioned Key.
‘He’s somebody who will get the very best out of individuals, and when the stress is basically on is ready to throw a blanket across the gamers and say: that is the way in which ahead, maintain going. They’re the qualities you want in management.
Ben Stokes is being thought of for a return to the 50-over aspect to take over as captain
Jos Buttler resigned as England’s white ball captain after his aspect’s woeful Champions Trophy marketing campaign
Harry Brook is being thought of for the T20 captaincy forward of the 2026 World Cup in Asia
With Stokes on the highway to restoration after tearing his left hamstring in New Zealand in December, and with gruelling five-Take a look at collection this yr in opposition to India and Australia, Key recognises the necessity to handle his workload.
However he added: ‘That’s at all times the way in which in England – you begin taking a look at what if it goes flawed? You’ve additionally received to assume: what if it goes proper? Ben has a variety of vitality for lots of issues.’
Key mentioned he thought Brook ‘could be an impressive captain’, and performed down issues that England’s finest younger batsman could be overburdened.
‘I used to be cautious about Ben Stokes doing the Take a look at job and having an excessive amount of, and look how that’s gone,’ he mentioned.
‘It’d deliver out the very best in Harry Brook. The additional accountability is typically the very best factor that may occur.’
